The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The good stuff will go to auction and will be OK. I suppose I worry most about those hundreds of 78s. Except for a few special ones its hard to find people who want to preserve them. I would hate to think they will end up in the landfill.

Clay

I'm surprised everyone has just mentioned auctions and landfills. How depressing!

Has anyone ever thought of just simply giving their collection to a younger generation of collectors? I can't tell you how much of a struggle it was to collect - from the age of 12 until 22, when I got my first "professional" job. The generosity I received from certain collectors, some of whom are on this board, at that time still means much to me.

Best,

Garret

Maybe you CAN take them with you... like the Cadillac Graveyard. Would it be selfish of me to convert my Victrola XX into my coffin - or maybe use and Edison as an urn?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA6ulKFXiTA

The real question is "Who's Sorry Now"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZekZe96gGEY

epigramophone wrote:

A Ford 1 wrote:I like the (English?) Hearse looks as if it is early 1950ies. What is the name of the maker?
Allen

The hearse is based on a long wheelbase Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire chassis, not the Star Sapphire which replaced it.

I owned this 1956 Sapphire saloon until recently, so the hearse version would be first choice for my final journey.

Indeed. I had one as well. Wilson Preselector. Fairly powerful motor. Got rid of it when I bartered my soul for a 30-98.

I'm gonna make SURE that my machines and records stay IN THE FAMILY!No way will the state have them!! edisonplayer

I have already given each of my children a nice phonograph from my collection and a few records/cylinders. I also gave them each one of my antique cars (1928 Dodge Brothers). They and my grand children are now fully enjoying these things. They have since each acquired additional phonographs and antique cars of their own. I believe I have now assured that my things will survive in the family for two more generations. In the long run, I believe it doesn't make sense for us to hoard our collections until we die. I have seen too many old-car enthusiasts who refused to include their children in their hobby and then I watched their collections disappear into the wind when they died. I'm sure it is the same with phonograph and record collectors.
John

Having gone through this when my father passed in 2013 leaving more than 380 machines plus parts, ephemera, etc. (as well as collections of coins, stamps, trains, guns and books, etc.) here are some things I wish we had done before hand:

Push our way into his world. My dad played his cards pretty close to his chest but it really was over whelming trying to sort everything out afterwards.

Video. Video. And video more. We should have interviewed him more and recorded it all even perhaps with a fellow collector (or two!) as they toured us through [everything?] bit by bit. He did have written notes about purchase prices and dates but there were gaps and we weren't sure what he called everything. Speak nothing of matching all the right horns, reproducers, cranks, elbows, etc. nor what was original, re-finished, and/or "as found." etc. including all the parts/partials!

Find out where he stashed the "good stuff" especially the smalls! The Auxephone reproducer in the box was obvious (even though he never had an Auxephone) but about the only regret I have about what/how things were sold were overlooking a handful of records: There were hundreds! of 78s and DDs throughout the house and he never played them (only cylinders!?) so I didn't even know what to look/listen for. But now that I am slowing learning what 78s/DDs I want, I find he had his WJBryans and Sofie Tuckers (etc.???) in binders behind his desk - and we sold those by the milk crate for ~$5/crate! (If anyone here got them I'd love to negotiate! But more for sentimental reasons such as - through dad we are related to WJB and I know at least his WJB Gennett Christmas was in there. Maybe I never want to know what else?!)

And I cannot recommend the Donleys enough for how they took care of both auctions of such magnitude!

We kept only a handful of machines and I really, really enjoy the three I have!!! Now each time I enjoy them I feel I understand my mysterious father a bit better. (And I dream that maybe someday I could afford to get back an Idelia?!)

-Michael Schlick

All of this talk has made me think that their might be a way to "take it with you" and memorialize your interest in phonographs for future generations.

Introducing the ultimate in grave memorials - a bronze replica of your favorite machine in full 3D with an epitaph plate attached. Who wants a boring gravestone when you could have one of these?

Sample epitaphs might be: "I might have left this world, but I'm still spinning at 78 (rpms that is)" or "Phonograph collectors don't really die... they just pass their interests to future generations through their reproducers" or "Glad you visited, but you are making me cranky" or "Please don't stand on my tonearm" or "I heard something crack and I lost my groove" or "I lost my will to live after discovering that I spent my retirement savings on Crap-o-phones" or "I just decided to Shuffle Off To Buffalo", etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0lLte7-A94

Schlick wrote:We kept only a handful of machines and I really, really enjoy the three I have!!! Now each time I enjoy them I feel I understand my mysterious father a bit better. (And I dream that maybe someday I could afford to get back an Idelia?!)

-Michael Schlick

Michael, I understand how you feel... however, not to be critical, but you probably could have indulged your father a little while he was alive and maybe learned about his interests. I know that most people are involved in their jobs, kids and family activities and maybe the time spent learning about all of this "stuff" seems irrelevant.

I have tried on numerous occasions to engage my son in my interests and got his answer to it all - "just write notes about what I need to know and what is important". I fully understand that with his IT job and family, the last thing of importance in his life right now is old technology or family history.

Don't beat yourself up, because your dad enjoyed all of those things during his life and you probably passed them on to other people who also enjoy them... The last thing that this hobby is about is money, so if you lost an Idelia or some great records, oh well - no one spent time learning about them...